Set A Torch To Flame | ✔ | #1

Chapter 12-

"Miss Foster?" Sandor's voice rose from where he stood on the ground. "Am I interrupting something?"

Sophie jerked away from Keefe a bit. She was sure her face was way redder than it had ever been in her life.

Keefe gave the goblin a trademark smirk. "Yeah, actually you were." His hand shot out, wrapping around her waist as though it was meant to be there, pulling her closer to him. He made a big show of caressing her cheek, wiping away the last wet trail on her face.

The bodyguard scowled at her boyfriend. "Get her down here right this minute!" He barked.

"Oh, alright," Keefe said, dragging his voice out as if bored. Giving her a quick peck on the cheek, he casually slipped off the branch, landing on the ground.

Sophie quickly followed, but instead of landing on the ground, she landed in his waiting arms, blushing. "Thanks."

He put her down gently. "It's not a problem at all, Miss Foster," he said slyly copying Sandor's deep voice.

Despite herself, she let out a giggle, playing along. She knew that he was trying to get back at Sandor, and judging from the goblin's red, furious face, it was working. "My hero."

"No problem, m'lady," Keefe said with a deeply elegant bow. "Anytime." He shot her bodyguard a smirk before pulling out his home crystal. "I'm afraid that I must begone, but I beg your forgiveness for my soon absent self." With that performance, he was gone.

Her cheek tingling, Sophie skipped into the house, her mind focusing on the scene that had just taken place.

"Where's that boy of yours?" Grady immediately demanded. "I need to have that little chat with him."

"Someone scared him away," she remarked, shooting Sandor a smug look.

The goblin returned her look, turning to Grady with an apologetic smile. "They were about to mphl mph."

Sophie's hand had covered his mouth before he could say anything about what was going to happen. "He means that Keefe was so kind to come check on me after...something."

"Yes, dear," Edaline says suddenly from the other side of the table. "Why are you home from the sleepover so soon?"

"Things got a little out of hand with all of these new relationships..."

"Oh, I see."

Avoiding the conversation coming, Sophie hurriedly started up the stairs, going up two at a time. Just as she reached her room, she got an incoming call from Biana and answered it. "What's up?"

"You okay?" Linh asked from the other side with Biana. "What did Fitz do?"

"He asked you out, right?" Biana interrupted. "I wish he'd asked me first—I would have told him it was too late."

Sophie sighed. "Thanks, you guys, I just.... I can't believe he would do that. I really thought that I had everything figured out."

"Yeah." Linh was suddenly quiet. "Thank you for saying no."

"Agreed," Biana added. "He doesn't deserve you." She looked defiant.

She let out a laugh. "Gosh, what a bunch of drama this is. Our group is literally in a web of one-sided crushes."

"Wait," both of them on the other side of the call said. "You don't like Keefe, or he doesn't like you?"

"No, no, I just mean between everyone else in our group that isn't dating," she said, flustered. "I mean, Linh has a crush on Fitz, who has a crush on me. Both Tam and Dex have a crush on Biana, who doesn't even know how she's feeling right now."

"Oh." Heads bobbed up and down in agreement. "Yeah, that."

"Keefe and I are fine." Sophie bit her lip, wondering if her friends believed her for a moment before changing the subject. "Are you guys going to have your Winnowing Galas?"

Biana shook her head. "I already have love interests."

Linh smiled. "Same."

Someone shouted from the back of the call. Linh nodded, her cheeks going red as she got up. "Be back soon, guys."

Biana's expression changed quickly. "Can you come over?"

...

Sophie was at The Vacker's House. Biana let her in through the gate. "Linh got asked out."

"Was it Fitz?" Sophie couldn't help herself.

"Yeah," Biana said quietly. "He's using her to...make you jealous. Linh actually thinks that he likes her, genuinely. This is a disaster."

Her eyes widened, and she nearly choked on the words bubbling up from her vocals. "He's going to WHAT?"

"I don't know what to do," the Vacker complained. "I've already tried convincing her, but it's no use!"

"This is bad," Sophie predicted. "We need to break them up, and fast."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Biana said sarcastically. "Let's talk upstairs, though. We cannot tolerate eavesdroppers."

"Yes," she agreed immediately. 

After a short march up the stairs, they were in the official altar of pink.

Biana wasted no time in flunking onto the bed, realxing, before patting the spot next to her for her to sit.

Sophie gladly obliged, then gave her friend a sly look. "How about we call in the prankster of sorts, the boyfriend?"

"OOH!" The teal-eyed elf did not lack enthusiasm. "Let's do it!"

Sophie took her imparter out. "Keefe?"

"Hey, Sophie, what's up?" Her boyfriend said with a smile.

"We...might need a prank done," Biana said, batting her eyelashes at him and giving him puppy eyes.

"Say no more," Keefe replied. "What do you need it for?"

"FitzaskedLinhoutandnowtheyaredatinglikeduhbutweneedtobreakthemupbecauseheisusingher." As soon as Biana opened her mouth, the flood of words came out.

"Could you say that again?"

"Fitz asked Linh out and now we need to break them up without hurting her feelings because he's using her to make me jealous," Sophie explained.

"Oh." Keefe's head bobbed in understanding. "I'll start formulating ideas."